Once the Commander's Cup tournament ends, the PCs deliberate whether they should pursue Doughboy the Dreaded after his hostility towards Luz in the 3rd round. They decide against this course, instead readying themselves for Mistlethroe's mission to rescue Flabbergast Manor. Private Doorjamb is assigned to guide the Fourth Eidolorn on their march to Floivin Province, and separated from the other PCs once more, while Darkhan begins a meditation to attract a new animal companion. The rest of the group gets to bed early, so they can shop for items on the following morning.
Tault, Malarous 15th, 838 ID
In the morning, the PCs scatter to purchase items and prepare themselves for their strange journey to the Astral Plane. Potions are in short supply, but through Mistlethroe's contacts in the Wizards Elite, they are able to pick up a number of magic armaments. Mudgol identifies the magic monacle lens that Doorjamb has traded the other PCs (in return for their Charisma ioun stone), while Darkahan is ultimately successful in summoning a new animal companion, a badger. By evening, a number of characters have had items enchanted, and they move to collect them, before settling in early.
Varony, Malarous 16th, 838 ID
Mistlethroe takes aside Luz and Mudgol to explain to them some of the 'difference' in magic on the Astral Plane. He also debriefs the PCs as fully as he can: the Deans of the Arkana Arkiva have been defeated by an invading force of githyanki slavers and mercenaries led by at least two members of The Score: a Red Wizard (whom the PCs have previously encountered at the taking of the Hud Horrn), and a traitor dwarf student named 'Flaming' Fack. Lt. Langston accosts the gnome chancellor for his lack of precise details. Mistlethroe then explains the best he can about travel through the Astral, but informs the PCs they'll need 'hands on' experience. The party then proceeds to the Wizards Elite chantry in Tarair, and Prepostero sees them off. They grasp hands and Mistlethroe uses his plane shift spell...
They all appear in a silvery, pinkish void, and it takes some time for them to become oriented with 'steering', or 'falling' in particular directions. After some experimentation, Mistlethroe produces a device that allows him to 'track' the location of Flabbergast Manor on the Astral. He doesn't tell the PCs that they are over 50 miles away...but begins to 'fall' them in the proper direction. After what seems like an eternity of travel, the PCs encounter a glowing, bright winged being, who accosts them from a distance for traveling with an 'evil' problem, which it identifies as Luz the half-orc. The PCs ignore the warning (except Mistlethroe), and move along. Later that day of travel, they encounter a series of plummeting rock structures which Odd Jon Stuckle only barely manages to avoids...the PCs cannot rest or sleep as they travel, but they also don't feel hunger or thirst.
Verne, Malarous 17th, 838 ID
Using Mistlethroe's compass, they inevitable arrive from 'above' the Flabbergast Manor, their gnome guide and Mudgol seeing the familiar shape of their school. However, Mudgol accidentally falls too 'close' to the Manor, and activates a flight of gargoyle defenders from one of the active Eye Towers. The group flies off to safety, and the gargoyles do not pursue beyond a particular one mile radius. Mistlethroe believes that the Red Wizard has figured out how to implement the Manor's defenses, so an alternate access must be found. They decide to re-approach the place from below, 'falling' towards the rock and earth base which was transported along with the Manor when it originally left the Prime Material Plane. They decide upon an approach from a stream of water that exits from a vent below the school. Mistlethroe explains that this must lead to the Bath Works.
After managing to land on the undersurface of the Manor, Slab leads a reconnaissance up into the water vent, which inevitably comes to a stone grate. Since the vent is so tight, the PCs can't just break it from their position, so after scouting the next area with Mudgol's clairvoyance sensor, Mistlethroe and Mudgol dimension door into the Bath Works to enlist the aid of the magically bound gargoyle attendant Theo. Unfortunately, he's not that strong, so it takes him some time (and a crowbar passed through by Slab) to break the grates off and allow the PCs access to the Bath Works, which are heated by magically preserved igneous rock built into the floor, and supplied endlessly by a decanter of endless water built into the Bath. Luz expressed interest in breaking open and taking the decanter, but Mistlethroe throws a shitfit about how the PCs are NOT allowed to loot anything in the Manor without his permission.
Theo tells the party that the area has been relatively quiet, and then the PCs begin to systematically comb about the nearest empty classrooms, include an alchemy lab and the unused Pact Magic class. When they arrive at the West Arborage, Darkahn is surprised by a young human student who attacks him with a bookbag. They manage to calm the girl, and get information out of her. She claims that the githyanki and the enemy wizards are located in the central offices of the Manor, and that many of the instructors have been taken as slaves by the mercenaries, flown off in a cage carried by a large red dragon. The PCs set a course to try and circle around the enemy in the Manor, but first attempt to ambush a pair of animated mail boots that are stalking through the Students Wing West. Mistlethroe takes credit. The party, led by Slab, circles to the Sparring Yard, and then Slab scales the battlement into the Reargarden, running smack into another gargoyle attendant...
PCs: Darkahn, Langston, Luz, Mudgol, Ryit, Slab
NPCs
Apprentice Letoe (human female): A rather plain but congenial young teenage girl with brown hair tied back in a bun. She's a student of the Arkana Arkiva who somehow survived the invasion on Flabbergast Manor. PCs encounter her when she surprises and attacks Darkahn in the West Arborage of the Manor. She claims most of the Deans were enslaved by githyanki and carried off somewhere by a large red dragon.
Theo (gargoyle 'male'): The bath attendant of the Flabbergast Manor, he is magically bound to the Bath Works area and cannot leave. He gets lonely sometimes, and seems to have a peculiar attraction to males...or whichever male seems to be the most comely at the time. Theo is a fairly menacing looking gargoyle, but he wears a white toga.
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